Glue feeder for veneer machines



April 3, 1945. a. M. us'rm GLUE FEEDER FOR VENEER MACHINES Filed April 8, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. BY 6503 GE M GUJT/N,

A rromzzifl .n flllllllbl l v April 3, 1945. G. M. GUSTIN 2,372,894

GLUE FEEDER FOR VENEER MACHINES Filed April 8, 1942 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENIOR.

April 3, 1945. ca. M. GUSTIN GLUE FEEDER FOR VENEER MACHINES Filed April 8, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 QQW/q Patented Apr. 3, 1945 GLUE FEEDER FOR VENEER MACHINES George M. Gustin, Wabash, Ind., assignor to The I G. M. Dlelil Machine Works, Wabash, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application April 8, 1942, Serial No. 438,083

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in veneer joining machines and primarily to that type of machine adapted for joining the abutting edges of veneer sheets.

More specifically, my invention relates to improvements in means for applying the adhesive or adhesive moistening material to the edges of veneer sheets prior to their entry into the joining apparatus.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide means for applying to the glue applying disc, of machines of the above character, a band of glue of relatively narrow width on each side of the glue disc whereby a surplus of glue on the disc, and consequently a surplus of glue on the material, may be avoided.

It is another object of my invention to provide means for controlling the thickness of the above described band whereby a minimum quantity of glue may be carried by the glue applying disc and the application of excessive glue to the edges of the veneer sheets will be avoided.

Another object of my invention is to provide a glue applying mechanism for delivering the glue to the glue disc, which glue applying mechanism may be removed as a unit for the purpose of refill, cleaning, etc.

For the purpose of disclosing my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

certain embodiments thereof, and in said drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the infeed end of a veneer gluing machine showing the application of my improved gluing mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bed and its associated conveyors;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation showing more in detail the gluing mechanism;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the glue transferring mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a detail section showing the association of the glue disc and the glue transfer wheel;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail section of the glue transfer wheel;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view on the line I, I ofFig. 4;

Fig. 9 is an end view of the glue applying mechanism shown in Fig. 8. I

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated,

'I provide a veneer joining apparatus which comprises a bed I supported on a suitable base 2 and provided on its upper face with grooves in which may run downwardly on the glue disc.

travel conveyor chains 3. These chains are arranged side-by-side. although slightly spaced from one'another, and the chains travel in a path converging toward the rear end of the machine. Preferably, each of the conveyor chains comprises suitable links having fiat serrated upper surfaces which pass over a suitable sprocket 4, preferably mounted on the under side of the bed I and, at their rear end, over a suitable driving sprocket (not shown).

Cooperating'with these conveyor chains are suitable presser means, one over each of the chains, and each of these'means may comprise any suitable presser devices such, for instance, as presser blocks 5 mounted on suitable conveyor chains 6 carried in an adjustable head I.

Disposed in advance of the pressure mechanism and operating through a slot in the bed I is a glue disc 9 mounted on a shaft I0 extending transversely of the bed and supported in suitable bearings on the under side of the bed. Preferably, this disc is relatively thin and the sides are tapered toward the'periphery to form, at the extreme edge of the periphery, substantially a knife edge construction. This disc preferably comprises a pair of rolls I I and I2 held in face to face abutment through the medium of suitable clamping bolts and clamped between these rolls is the annular band I4 comprising the actual glue disc portion. The abutting faces of the rolls II and I2 are provided with annular recesses I3 near their peripheries so that a peripheral groove is provided in which the disc I 4 is centered and which is adapted to receive any excess glue which Cooperating with the rolls II and I2 is a pair of matching rolls I5 and I6 which are supported on a shaft or shafts adjustably supported on the front end of the head I.

Also, mounted on the shaft I0 is an additional pair of supporting rolls I9 which cooperate with additional matching rolls 20. It is to be noted that the-shafts I0 and the shaft or shafts are in vertical alignment so that the glue disc I3 operates between the rolls I5 and I6.

On the bed I forward of the matching rolls I5 and I6, I preferably mount a separating and guiding fin 2I which projects vertically from the bed I and carries on either side thereof presser feet 2|. This fin ZI maintains the two adjacent sheets of veneer separated, as they are fed into the machine, and sufficiently spaced apart to receive between the same the glue disc I4. The matching rolls I5 and I6 and associated glue disc rolls I2 and II rotate at the same peripheral speed as the conveyor chain 3. As the adjacent sheets of veneer are delivered to the rolls, their front edges striking these rolls are brought into proper alignment before the veneer sheets are fed into the machine.

The glue is distributed to' the glue disc l4 through the medium of a distributor disc 22 which, in turn, dips into a supply of glue in the glue wheel or pot 22'. This glue pot is formed in two sections. The bottom section 23 is substantially rectangular in shape and-is surrounded by a suitable water jacket having an intake opening 24 and outlet opening 25 whereby preferably cold water or a chilling medium may be circulated through the jacket. The bottom section of the pot comprises the glue well containing glue. In the specific use of the apparatus, I preferably use a type of resin glue now commercially available, which is maintained in a fluid or semi-fluid form whilecold and which becomes hardened under the influence of heat. The base or bottom section of the pot is provided with a cover 26 substantially of the same general shape as the bottom section, provided with an upwardly extending portion 21 forming a hood having an open face 28 which substantially encloses the glue distributing disc 22. This cover is provided with bearings 29 in which the shaft 30 of the disc 22 is mounted. The disc 22 comprises a hub 31 mounted on the shaft 30, which hub receives an annular ring 32 which ring is provided with a peripheral groove 33 for the reception of the glue disc l4 so that the glue which is picked up by the distributing disc 22 as it dips into the supply of glue in the well of the glue pot is transferred by this distributing disc or wheel to the glue disc. The annular groove 33 is of just suillcient depth to transfer to the disc l4 a band of glue, on each side of the disc, of a predetermined width, and, due to the fact that the glue was transferred to the disc in this manner, the width of this band is maintained constant, irrespective of the level of the supply of the glue in the glue pot.

The glue pot and its associated parts are supported from the under side of the bed I through the medium of a vise. This vise is provided with a pair of upper jaws 34 straddling the hood 2'! and bearing upon shoulders 35 on the top of the cover 28, suitable dowel pins extending through openings in the top edges of the bottom section 23 and the cover 26 for maintaining the cover and well or bottom section against lateral displacement. The bottom jaw 36 of the vise or clamp is provided with a clamping screw 31 which screws upwardly through the bottom jaw 36 and engages the bottom of the glue pot forcing the shoulders 35 against the top clamping members 34 of the vise to securely maintain the glue pot as an entirety clamped in position. This clamping vise is provided with a pair of top arms 33 straddling the hood 2'! which arms are bolted to the under face of the bed. Thus, it is apparent that by the loosening of the clamping screw 31, the entire glue pot, with its associated distributor wheel and other parts may be dropped down out of engagement with the top clamps 34 and the glue pot as a whole readily removed from its support. The releasing of the glue pot as a whole also releases the cover 28 so that after the pot is removed as a unit,- the cover may be taken off without further adjustment of the parts.

For controlling the thickness of the band of glue applied to the glue disc, I provide scrapers 39 between which the glue disc is adapted to rotate after having received a supply of glue from the distributor wheel. These scrapers are preferably mounted on arms 40 secured to the inner faces of the side walls of the hood 21. These arms preferably are of spring steel and are biased to separate these scrapers or move the scrapers away from the glue disc. In order that the scrapers may be adjustably moved toward 'the glue disc and thereby the thickness of the film of the glue applied to the disc be nicely determined, I provide for each of the arms a set screw 4| for each arm, this screw being adapted to operate through a guide 42 on the top 01" the cover 23 and being adapted to be threaded, as at 43, through the side wall of the hood. Therefore, by setting the screw up, the scraper controlled thereby may be moved toward the glue disc and by reversely turning the screw, the bias of the spring of the arm 40 will move the scraper away from the disc, thus permitting a very close adjustment of the scrapers relatively to the disc.

The shaft 30 carrying the distributor disc or wheel 32 is provided with a pulley 30' belt connected with a pulley 43 on the shaft of one of .the sprockets 4 of the conveyor 3. The matching rolls l5 and I 6 are driven through the engagement of these rolls with the sheets of veneer. The shaft I0 is driven from the shaft of the sprockets 4. As the material is fed beneath the matching rolls l5 and IS, the side surfaces of the glue disc l3 come in contact with the adjacent edges of the veneer and' the glue is applied thereto. As the disc rotates, it dips into the peripheral well on the distributor disc 22 receiving a supply of glue carried from said well and then passes between the scrapers 33 which remove the excessive glue from'the disc before the disc rotates between the adjacent edges of veneer sheets.

It is thus apparent that no matter what the level of the supply of glue in the glue pot may be, a band of glue will be applied to the glue disc of a constant width and constant thickness.

In the structure illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, I have shown a modification wherein the glue disc and distributor wheel are mounted ahead of the sprocket wheels 4 and their associated conveyor chains. In this structure, I provide a supporting clamp 44 having a forwardly projecting supporting arm 45 bolted to the under face of the bed I. This clamp is widened to provide a yoke 46 which receives the glue not 41 structurally substantially the same as that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7. The top of this yoke bears upon the top of the glue pot and the bottom of the yoke is provided with the set screw 43 which clamps the glue pot in position.

In this structure, however, the rear face of the hood 50 on the top of the glue pot is the open face and, in order that the scrapers may properly operate, the scrapers constitute sliding plates 5| sliding through slots in the top of the hood to a position on each side of the glue disc and adjusted in position by means of screws 52 threaded into bosses 53. In this structure illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, it will be noted that the glue disc is positively driven through a chain drive 54 from the sprocket 4as is the glue disc in the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7.

I claim as my invention:

1. A glue applying means for edgewise gluing veneer sheets together having the adjacent edges of the veneer sheets in contact, said means comprising in combination a rotating glue applying disc in a position to be engaged by the edges of the veneer sheets, and means for supplying said disc with glue, comprising a glue well adapted to receive a supply of glue therein supported below the plane of the sheets and a rotary glue transfer wheel dipping into said well and having a peripheral slot forming a secondary glue well of predetermined depth receiving the edge of said glue disc as the disc and wheel rotate.

2. A glue applying means for edgewise gluing veneer sheets together having the adjacent edges of the veneer sheets in contact, said means comprising in combination a glue applying disc in a position to be engaged by the adjacent edge of said veneer sheets and means for supplying said disc with glue comprising a support disposed beneath the plane of the sheets, a glue well, means for removably securing said well in said support and a glue transfer wheel carried by and removable with said well and having a peripheral groove receiving the edge of said glue disc.

3. A glue applying means for edgewise gluing veneer sheets together, having the adjacent edges of the veneer sheets in contact, said means comprising in combination a rotating glue applying disc in a position to be engaged by the adjacent edges of the veneer sheets, a supporting clamp disposed beneath the plane of the sheets, a glue pot removably supported in said clamp, a hood for said glue pot removably secured in position on said pot by said clamp and a peripheral grooved transfer wheel rotatably mounted in said hood and receiving the edge of said disc in said groove.

4-. A glue applying means for edgewise gluing veneer sheets together having the adjacent edges of the veneer sheets in contact, said means comprising in combination a rotating glue applying disc in a position to be engaged by the adjacent edges of the veneer sheets and means for supplying said disc with glue comprising a supporting clamp mounted beneath the plane of the sheets,

a glue pot supported in said clamp, a cover for said pot maintained in position on said pot by said clamp, a peripheral grooved transfer wheel joumaled in said cover and receiving the edge of said disc in said groove and scrapers, supported by said cover and disposed on the adjacent sides of said disc to receive the disc between them after it has engaged said transfer wheel.

GEORGE M. GUSTIN. 

